It’s remarkable how much the Miami Dolphins have managed to turn their 2025 NFL season around in a matter of weeks.
The team looked dead in the water not long ago at all, as less than two months back, Miami owned a record of 1-6 on the season. Fast forward to current day, and the Dolphins have won five of their last six games and are currently riding a four-game winning streak.
All of a sudden, Miami’s record is a much-improved 6-7, and it can get to the .500 mark for the first time all season with a win against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football. Ahead of the Dolphins’ opportunity to balloon their current winning streak to five games, let’s look at three huge storylines for Miami in its battle against Pittsburgh.
Can Miami handle a stage like this?
A lot of eyes will be on the Dolphins on Monday. The attention of the NFL world will be on Monday Night Football, and whether or not they can stay alive in the playoff race in the AFC will hinge on whether they can pull out a victory.
On a national stage, Miami will have to prove that its midseason turnaround is for real, and it will also have to do it in very cold conditions. Temperatures around 20 degrees are expected, and it will likely feel even colder.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa picked up the first win of his career in sub-46-degree temperatures just recently, but it also came against a lowly New York Jets team. Monday’s test will be tougher.
Simply put, the Dolphins will be on a big stage in Week 15. Will they rise to the occasion with so much at stake and so much to prove, or will they live up to the status quo under head coach Mike McDaniel and choke under the bright lights? Ultimately, only time will tell, but Dolphins fans won’t have to wait much longer to get an answer to that question.
How will the offseason trade between the two teams factor into the contest?
Dolphins fans are going to see some familiar faces playing for the opposing team when the two sides do battle on Monday. Cornerback (and now safety) Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith are now playing for the Steelers in light of an offseason trade between the two teams that brought safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to Miami, and the trade could play a big role in Week 15.
Smith is not far removed from debatably the best season from a tight end in Dolphins history, and while he hasn’t lived up to expectations with the Steelers, he still has the talent to put together a productive showing against his former team. He’s been a solid threat to score for Pittsburgh this season, as he has two receiving touchdowns to his name.
As for Ramsey, he’s been an instrumental part of the Steelers’ secondary. Earlier this season, he switched from cornerback to safety. Tagovailoa needs to be aware of where he is on the field at all times because of his knack for coming up with interceptions. He’s totaled 25 interceptions in his career and has one this season so far.
Fitzpatrick will also look to make an impact against his old team, even though he has downplayed the fact that he is facing the Steelers.
“The only reason why it’s a big week this week is because we have a game and we got to win it,” Fitzpatrick said.
If Smith looks like the tight end he was with the Dolphins on Monday and Ramsey wreaks havoc defensively, Miami might not be able to overcome all of that and still win. But if Fitzpatrick and company put together a strong performance on both sides of the ball, the Dolphins may very well find themselves at 7-7 when time expires.
Can the Dolphins continue to ride what’s gotten them here?
Two key factors to Miami’s success during its win streak have been a devastatingly effective run game and stout defense. Starting with the ground-and-pound offensive approach, Miami is averaging a whopping 192.3 rushing yards per game since the start of Week 10, and it has recorded 160-plus rushing yards over its last four games for the first time since 1977.
Running back De’Von Achane has headed the Dolphins’ running game, but it’s worth noting that he’s fresh off an injury to his ribs, so it remains to be seen if he will sustain his high level of play on Monday. If he’s healthy enough, Miami should feel optimistic about its chances of thriving in the run game once again, especially against a defense that isn’t great against the run.
Meanwhile, no team has scored more than 17 points against Miami during its active winning streak, and that’s a number Miami should be looking to hold the Steelers to. Pittsburgh has had some big offensive games this season, but it did score just seven points a couple weeks back against the Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins will look to replicate Buffalo’s success.
